What is trichotillomania?
The simplest explanation of trichotillomania is that it involves the frequent, damaging compulsion to pull out your own hair. Many experts classify it similarly to obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). Trichotillomania can have a significant impact on your quality of life, but there are also ways to mitigate its effect.
Official Diagnostic Criteria
Trichotillomania is a diagnosable condition that features in the DSM-5. There are three diagnostic criteria that must be met:
1. Repeated pulling of hair resulting in hair loss.
2. Attempts by the individual to stop pulling their hair.
3. Ruling out of other potential conditions and causes, such as delusions, skin disorders or body dysmorphia.
Around 2% of the global population may have trichotillomania. It can often be a highly distressing experience. Causes are unclear and probably include a mix of genetic and environmental factors. People may be predisposed to develop the condition because of their genes, but it may not emerge unless exposed to environmental stressors.
Relationship to Other Conditions
Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a broader category that includes many types of repetitive thoughts and behaviours. Trichotillomania involves compulsive behaviour, and the brains of people with trichotillomania show similar structural changes to those with OCD. Overlap has also been observed between trichotillomania and some anxiety disorders, and with Tourettes’s syndrome.
Treatment
Support and understanding from others, early diagnosis and prompt intervention improve outcomes for people with trichotillomania. Mental health training courses Blackpool such as those at www.tidaltraining.co.uk/mental-health-training-courses/blackpool should teach about conditions such as trichotillomania and other impulse control disorders.
Different approaches have been used as trichotillomania treatments, with varying degrees of success These include the use of medications such as selective serotonin uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and antipsychotics, and also psychotherapy such as habit reversal therapy (HBT) cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). These therapies allow patients to identify harmful thought patterns and triggers, and then develop alternative, healthier mechanisms for managing their urges.
With improved understanding, prompt and accurate diagnosis and effective treatment, the negative impact of trichotillomania can be minimised and patients can enjoy a good quality of life.
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